The Evolution of the European Union's China Strategy: Challenges in an era of economic security

The European Union’s China strategy is undergoing a rapid and substantial transformation. While Japanese experts and officials have often criticized Europe of being too soft on China for many years, Europe is changing, albeit belatedly. This DP examines what the EU seeks to achieve in its relations with China, focusing particularly on the issues and the EU’s policy tools related to economic security.

The most immediate policy goal is to safeguard the EU’s own economic interest. Brussels has been introducing a series of measures to strengthen investment screening and export control and to counter state aid by foreign countries and economic coercion in recent years. While those measures are global in scope, there is no doubt that the EU’s practical focus is always on China. The fact that the human rights concerns, particularly regarding the forced labor issues in Xinjiang province, are also playing an important part in Europe’s deliberations on China also needs to be highlighted.